Coaxial cables of large sizes are commonly made of two concentric conductive sections. Typically these sections include a relatively large hollow outer conductor, and a smaller hollow center conductor that is concentrically disposed inside of the outer conductor. It is also likely that the two conductors are isolated from one another with insulation that is disposed between the two conductors.
The center conductor is commonly formed as a thin walled tube and may have corrugations on its inner surface to facilitate bending. While serving the purpose of improving the bending characteristics of the conductor, and the coaxial cable overall, the corrugations can interfere with the electrical contact that is required between the radially inwardly facing conductive surface of the center conductor and a corresponding radially outer surface of a center conductor of a coaxial connector. A number of alternative designs for connector assemblies have therefore been developed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining electrical connection between these particular portions of the cable and the connector.
For example, connector technology that addresses this has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,374,455 to Purdy et al., which discloses and describes a flexible tube with slots that are inserted into a hollow center conductor of the coaxial cable. The slots define distinct fingers, which are urged against a radially inwardly facing conductive surface, and which have open ends that extend in the direction of the hollow center conductor. These fingers may have a tendency to catch, or otherwise become obstructed by, the leading edge of the hollow center conductor when the fingers are inserted into a hollow center conductor. This may occur even though the ends of the fingers may be bent radially inwardly.
An alternative design is also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,357,671 to Wild et al. and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0149047 filed on Dec. 20, 2006 by Wild et al., both of which disclose and illustrate a connector pin that has fingers attached so that the open ends extend in the opposite direction. That is, the open ends extend in a direction away from the leading edge of the hollow center conductor of the coaxial cable when the hollow center conductor and the connector center conductor are brought together for insertion of the connector pin into the hollow center conductor. Unfortunately, although this design facilitates insertion of the fingers of the connector pin into the hollow center conductor, support for the fingers is provided only at the opposing ends of the fingers. It does not, for example, support any other portion of the fingers, and particularly the portions of the fingers that are subject to bending stresses. This may ultimately lead to a deformation of the fingers and thereby result in reduced electrical contact, and eventually in inadequate electrical contact between the hollow center conductor of the coaxial cable and the center conductor of the connector.
Therefore, there is a need for a connector that has a center conductor with flexible fingers for making electrical connection with the inner conductor of corrugated coaxial cable, but that does not suffer from degradation in electrical signal conduction between the center conductor and the inner conductor. It is likewise desirable that the flexible fingers of the connector are supported in a manner that reduces the effect of bending stresses. It is even more desirable that the connector include support and/or supporting elements that extend along the entire length of the flexible fingers.